


A Sign

by Strangerthingsprobably



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Christmas, F/M, Trailer, season two
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-12-24 02:28:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12003039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strangerthingsprobably/pseuds/Strangerthingsprobably
Summary: Inspired by the Season Two trailer, Mike thinks about Eleven during the holiday season.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I think only a few people will really understand how much the new trailer meant to me. So this was inspired by that. More so by the theory that Mike left presents in the fort for Eleven. I know now that it’s just the quilt, but I still like the idea so this is my take on it.

_December 24,1983_

It had been a little over a month since El left— vanished— but that didn’t stop Mike Wheeler from thinking about her every day. During the first snowfall of the year, when it was cold enough to stick, but not heavy enough to play in. Or when he stayed home from school for two days because he got sick after a three hour snowball fight with the boys. And when he watched the Christmas specials on TV with Holly and Karen while Ted snored on the couch.

He wondered if El had ever seen snow, or experienced the biting cold of winter’s breeze on her nose. What she would think about carolers coming to the door… If her eyes would light up at the sound of them singing alongside a jingle bell.

Then, he thought about her voice and how much he missed it. Though he’d never heard it in person, Mike could imagine her soft voice singing along to a melody and it made butterflies come to life inside him.

Now, Mike knelt before El’s fort, carefully arranging and re-arranging the presents he bought her; several different flavors of Eggos, all wrapped in colors corresponding to their flavor, a pair of nearly new converse Nancy had donated, and another gift he debated for days on.

Finally satisfied with his arrangement, Mike re-fluffed her pillows, put new batteries into the walkie-talkie, and settled himself in for the night. Sometimes, he swore he could still feel her presence and he couldn’t bear the idea of her spending another Christmas alone even if she wasn’t physically here.

He flipped the switch on the radio and extended the antennae. The static garbled to life and he let it settle before he spoke, still holding out hope that maybe she would speak first… but she didn’t.

Mike took a deep breath already feeling the tears well up in his eyes. “Merry Christmas, El,” he said softly. “Well, Christmas Eve, actually.”

He released the talk button on his radio to see if she would respond. In his head, he could hear her repeat his words back to him not understanding. Eagerly, he began to talk about his favorite holiday. “Christmas is a time certain people celebrate the birth of Christ with loved ones. I mean, not everyone celebrates for that reason, but that’s the idea behind it. It’s really just a time to surround yourself with family and friends and you all give each other presents and spend time together.”

He paused, smiling fondly at the thought of exchanging presents with her one day. He began telling her of this fantasy. About how he could see El in the kitchen with Karen baking treats, or helping the family decorate the tree together and using her powers to put up the star. He even blushed at the thought of a mistletoe, but decided against sharing it with her.

Finally, Mike yawned, rubbed the encroaching sleep from his eyes, and checked his watch. He had been talking about the holidays for nearly an hour. It was 12:06 in the morning.

“Sorry, El. I started rambling again and lost track of time.” Mike sighed. “I just really wish you were here so we could actually spend Christmas together.”

“I left some presents here in the fort for you and I’m going to stay down here tonight. I hope that’s okay with you that I sleep here sometimes. I just don’t think anyone should spend the holidays alone…” He trailed off. “I miss you,” he said. “We all miss you.”

He took a deep breath to calm himself and rolled over, curling into a fetal position. He cradled the walkie-talkie against his chest like a teddy bear and tried to keep his voice from cracking. 

“If you’re out there… please… just give me a sign,” he said defeated.


	2. Chapter 2

_“If you’re out there, please, just give me a sign,”_ Mike’s voice echoed into the slimy dark of The Upside Down.

Tears prickled at Eleven’s eyes hearing Mike’s somber tone. She laid in the slimy replica of her blanket fort, the only place she felt safe in this dark, dank underworld, and let the tears fall. Silent sobs racking her tiny frame.

El laid there listening to Mike talk about… Christmas Eve… for who knows how long. She simply rested and let his voice warm her like the hot chocolate he described. And though his words comforted her in a place where no such feeling existed, they equally made her ache for him and for everyone back in Hawkins.

She wished desperately that she could reach out to him. That, somehow, she could tell him she was here. That she was always here and always listening, missing him more than words could describe. But that night in the classroom had taken it’s toll on her and wandering the decrepit streets of The Upside Down in a constant state of fear did nothing to help her recovery.

The only thing that really helped was coming back to this distorted version of what El called home. She would return to the tentacle covered Wheeler house and crawl into the same wet, sticky fort to wait for the echoes of Mike’s voice to ring through the hazy air before falling into an uneasy sleep.

Though she knew Mike couldn’t hear her, she whispered goodnight back to him, holding onto blind hope that maybe, just maybe, he could feel it. Finally, the tears stopped falling and her eyes grew heavy. She let sleep overtake her and visions of Christmas danced through her dreams.

El had been dreaming of… Christmas… that’s what Mike called it, when she woke up. While she slept, El dreamt about the lights in Joyce Byers’ house and how they would look wrapped up in a tree like Mike said.

The flower that Papa had once given her before they made contact had also cropped up. One of the only presents she had ever received brought up the bittersweet memory.

Now, however, she was faced, once again, with reality. Gone were the warm thoughts of sharing presents with the boys and what she imagined decorating cooks? with Karen and Nancy smelled like. Replaced instead by the musty stink of this underworld.

El sat up in the slimy replica of her blanket fort and stretched her sore arms. That’s when she realized surrounding her were boxes of covered in colorful paper. Their wrappings were warped and waterlogged, but nonetheless, they sat waiting to be opened.

Her mouth fell agape in surprise. She didn’t know how exactly The Upside Down worked, but these must be the same presents Mike had told her about earlier. She imagined him now, sitting in the kitchen with his family, putting syrup in his eggs for breakfast after opening his own presents with his siblings. She wondered if he was thinking of her now. If he knew she got her presents.

El ran her fingers lightly across the paper of each gift, afraid to damage the delicate wrapping wondering which one to open first. Finally, after a few minutes of telling herself it was okay to ruin the paper, El had unwrapped all but one of her presents. Her new red converse clung lazily to her feet, still untied. Surrounding her were several opened boxes of Eggos, one waffle of each flavor missing. And on her lap sat her final gift; the largest of them all.

As if to savor the moment, she slipped one finger under one of the folds and pulled up, taking the tape with it. She decided to take her time knowing this may full-well be her first and last Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mike actually did a horrible job at wrapping the presents, but El didn't know any better.


End file.
